Serving Up Some Leftovers and Other Stuff

As I was cleaning off my cutting table today (long overdue), I was putting some bonus HSTs into my "parts" bowl and decided to get a few little quilts laid out from some of the leftovers there. I pulled out three design boards and soon these were born. I only let myself work with stuff from the cutting table, in the "parts" bowl, or the scrap baskets.

They will be leader/ender projects as I work on the last few deadlined projects for this summer.

I have to admit that feathers have become a favorite for me and Gidget. After trying hyper-quilting recently, I had to do more. I selected a few more batiks and got one of them sandwiched up and quilted. I had to try Fall colors this time because when I go out to work in my garden in the mornings now, there is that nip in the air, even though the daytime highs are still in the 90s. This is in the process of being bound (obviously).
Can't decide whether to do the deep plum or bright orange next.

I wanted to share with you something DD#1 did while she was here. She liked the hexie flowers I did in that little AAQI quilt and wanted to give it a try. When it was time for her to go home she was starting to applique the flowers down and had chosen sashing and binding fabrics.

I am so excited to have a new Koala sewing chair. It is wonderful. I have had lower back trouble since I was about 10 and the lumbar support of this chair feels so good. I saved my pennies (well, dollars, really) for a few months and I have had it for a week now. I think it was money well spent.

Another new arrival is my latest AAQI purchase. When I first saw Jean's little quilts I knew I wanted the R/W/B one. I had read the description, but the size escaped me and I was unprepared for how small it is. This makes me love it even more. You know me and minis! : )  It is now proudly placed in its new home. See it in the lower right-hand corner of my small quilts wall? So cute!

I have volunteered at the county fair Home Arts building for years, and I have usually entered baked goods, or soap, or even some sewing, but I have never entered in quilting. My Mom, who enters a quilt every year, has tried to talk me into it many times, but I have always resisted. This year I decided that Black & Blooms was worth entering. You can see the top of the blue ribbon it received in the bottom of the photo.
Now that looks like a bigger deal than it really is. Everything gets a ribbon in our county fair, so a blue ribbon is good, but there are LOTS of blue ribbons given out. I do feel good about it, though, based on the judges' comments on the judging sheet. They had nothing but good to say.

Another rambling post. Wish I could bake cookies or something for everyone who sticks it out to the end.

Until next time,
Janet O.

Hey, everybody, I really finished it!!

 That's what I felt like shouting when I took the last stitch on the binding of Black & Blooms (aka Little Buds from Primitive Gatherings). I still can't believe it is completed. When I took the wool applique class from Lisa Bongean last January, during one of our breaks she pulled out a bunch of quilts to show us. As she held up Little Buds we were all in awe of this tiny wool appliqued piece. I was fascinated by it and felt compelled to order the kit, all the while chiding myself, "Who are you kidding? You won't ever actually make that!"
I love to be wrong in such cases--and it really wasn't as hard to make as I had imagined. Just be prepared to paper piece those HSTs in the border--they are 1/2" finished!

So while we are talking small, these little log cabin blocks will finish at 3" (yes, they are paper pieced). They are going into my next AAQI quilt, if I can get it finished before the registration deadline. I'm tempted to just sew these four blocks together and put a couple of borders on it, but my original plan was for more blocks with a different setting. I just don't know if I have time to make that happen, with other deadlines I have looming. I wonder what it is like to quilt without deadlines?

Thanks to all who cast their vote in my border dilemma. It was a tricky election. At first the candidates seemed pretty evenly matched, but in the end, the red border won by a landslide. I won't be keeping this and I thought a majority vote had a better chance of getting a result the recipient would like, than just going by my opinion.

Finally, my last patriotic project for the time being (Old Glory Gatherings--Sheep Quilt), is all blanket stitched. I'm hoping to get it basted and start on the quilting tomorrow. I doubt it will be displayable by the 4th, but maybe it will see some moments in the spotlight before the fall decor goes up.

I hope everyone in the U.S. has a safe and happy Independence Day, and everyone else--have a good day. : )
Janet O.